She looks up at me with tear-filled eyes. “There’s really nothing going on between you two?”
I shake my head. “Nothing. The day we got back from the lake was the first time I’d seen her in weeks. That’s when I found out about the baby. I hadn’t seen her since before I met you, and then she crashed at my place last night because her apartment flooded, and I couldn’t have the woman who’s pregnant with my child sleeping on a fucking park bench. I promise you, Amelia, that’s all it is. I can hardly tolerate the woman.”
She hangs her head once again, and it’s clear she’s deep in thought, trying to process everything she’s learned.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” she finally says, shaking her head in disbelief. “And with her! Do you have any idea what she has done to me my entire life? Knowing she’s the one that gets to have your baby, that kills me.”
I grab hold of her chair and drag her across the tiles until she’s close enough to pull into my chest. “Trust me, I would give up everything just to have it as you carrying my child.”
Amelia nuzzles her face into my chest as I rub my hand over her back, trying to give her what comfort I possibly can. “She just stood there in your house, wearing your shirt as though she fucking belonged there,” she whispers.
Hearing her say that brings a small smile to my face. She’s jealous of Jessa in my house and in my clothes even though she has the wrong idea. What it tells me, though, is that there’s still hope. She’s still mine.
Amelia pulls back from me and looks up with her tear-streaked face. “Where can we possibly go from here? You’re having a baby with your girlfriend. I’m a single mother, remember? I know just how hard it is doing it all on your own, and I could never live with myself if I was the reason that you and her weren’t together. I couldn’t do that to you or your baby. It doesn’t matter how much I hate her. I’d never wish that struggle upon anybody.”
She’s not hearing me. She’s not even trying to hear what I’m saying.
I take Amelia’s chin and force her eyes to remain on mine. “Listen to me, baby. Jessa is not, was not, or will ever be my girlfriend. I don’t care that I sound like a complete heartless asshole, but I have nothing to hide from you. Do you hear what I’m saying, Angel?”
Amelia watches me, silently waiting for me to continue. “I have only known Jessa for the past twelve months. I met her one night out with the boys, and she was alright. I tolerated her. We had an understanding that it was just convenience. Finding a chick who wanted to fuck has never been a problem for us, but I got tired of going out meeting someone new whenever I need to get laid. I’m getting too old for that shit.
“With Jessa, it was meaningless sex, nothing more. I don’t fucking love her, I can barely even tolerate her. Especially now, after what she’s done and the way she made you feel. She’s never even been to my house until we found her there last weekend. I had no idea she even knew where I lived.”
Amelia takes a sip from her coffee before placing it back down and staring at the cup. “You said her place flooded?”
“Yeah,” I say. “I didn’t want her there, but it’s my baby. What kind of man would I be if I didn’t at least offer a roof over her head for the night? If she didn’t have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow, I would have made sure she had another place to stay, but I’m on shift tonight and didn’t think it would be a big deal if she was there when I wasn’t. But I’ve made it clear, especially after what she’s just done, that she better be gone before I get back.”
Amelia raises a brow. “What kind of doctor’s appointment?”
“I’m making her get a paternity test. I don’t even know if this baby is mine,” I tell her. “With someone like her, it’s hard to know, but she insists that it is, but until I have those results, I need to make sure she’s safe. If it’s not mine, she can fuck off, and I’ll happily never see